Playa de los Hippies (Hippie Beach) in Cordoba, Argentina

Those who’ve been travelling in Argentina can probably agree on what an amazingly beautiful country it is, full of life and variety in nature and culture. Although, while making your way through this huge country you might find yourself in need of a break from the hectic and sometimes completely overwhelming atmosphere of the larger cities. In that case, just pack your tents and backpacks, catch the first bus available to Cuesta Blanca in the Córdoba province, and let yourself float into the bohemian idyll also known as Hippie Beach.

Actually, entering Hippie Beach you literally arrive floating, as the easiest way to access the beach is by the river in a canoe. And after an exhausting 45 minutes walk carrying heavy backpacks from the bus stop you might just find it worth paying a couple of pesos to the canoe guy to take you on the 5 minutes ride across. It should also be added that the experience itself of crossing the river is an extremely beautiful one, allowing you to have a good and close look at the deep surrounding valley, the mountain, and the famously breathtaking waterfall.

The Hippie Beach way of life

Given away by its name, Hippie Beach, (or Playa de LosPlaya de los Hippies1 Hippies in Spanish) is mostly inhabited by pot smoking argentine bohemians, having decided to spend the hottest days of summer camping out by the crystal clear river, making arts and crafts. The long-term residents may keep their distance at first, but before you know it they come swinging by your campsite offering you some aloe vera for your sunburn, just out of pure kindness. Every night at sunset you gather around a huge bonfire, passing around a plastic bottle filled with undefinable contents. Sharing is caring! Also, do not get surprised when you hear people making loud bird sounds in the middle of the night, that is just the Hippie Beach way of long distance communication. As bizarre as it sounds you’ll get used to it.

Survival skills and disconnection

Relaxation is, of course, one of the main things that attract people to the beach, but going there also puts your survival skills on trial. The whole area of Hippie Beach is more or less disconnected from the commodities of civilisation, apart from a kiosk of which you literally speaking have to cross a mountain to reach. In other words, forget all about showers, toilets, and not to mention the of internet connection.

As off-putting as this may sound to some, (although I do admit that in order to enjoy Hippie Beach you kind of have to have a thing for being outdoors), the way of life on the beach is relaxing in all its uncomfortableness. When not having a cool swim in the river or exploring the waterfall you spend your days hiking in the woods in search for wood in order to cook food, or collecting water just to be able to drink.

Keeping yourself focused on these daily tasks is actually extremely relaxing as they disconnect you from all the stressful thoughts from your everyday life that usually goes rushing through your head. In the end, that just might be well worth the effort.